Apparatus for opening and emptying bags



Nov. 24, 1953 R. TRAUTscHoLD APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND EMPTYING BAGS Filed oct'. 26, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet. l

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R. TRAUTSCHOLD APPARATUS FOR OPENEING AND EMPTYING BAGS Filed Oct. 26, 1949 Nov. 24, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 w mm Na IA BY IMQ MN WL Nov. 24, 1953 R. TRAuTscHoLD APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND EMPTYING BAGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 0G13. 26, 1949 0 E VC 2 mm 0 7 MU 7 A o. w

l uw Nov. 24, 1953 R. TRAuTscHoLD APPARATUS PoR OPENING AND EMPTYING BAGS Filed oct. 2e, 1949 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 24, 1953 APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND EMPTYING BAGS Reginald Trautschold, Nutley, N. J., assignor to St. Regis Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application October 26, 1949, Serial N0. 123,577

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to container opening devices, and more particularly to an automatic device for opening and emptying filled bags of sheet material such as paper, and thereafter for disposing of or ej ecting the empty bags.

The invention in one aspect thereof comprises an automatic machine for cutting open and emptying in succession a plurality of filled containers such as paper bags. The apparatus effectively and emciently empties such bags of their entire contents which normally are of pulverulent material such as sugar or flour, and thereafter ejects the bags automatically from the machine whereupon such emptied and ejected bags can be baled. A conveyor is provided for moving the bags in Succession past a cutting member referred to as a slitter knife. The bags may be not only conveyed by the conveyor but may be aligned by upstanding Vanes secured thereto for getting behind a portion of each bag and pushing same so that each bag will 'be presented to the slitter knife in a preselected attitude. The slitter knife is, in one modification of the invention, positioned for slitting one end of the bag and thus mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. Substantially concurrently with the slitting of the end of the bag the conveyorpusher device or conveyor mounted vane urges the bag against an impaling spike which is positioned for piercing the bag near the end opposite to the slit extremity. The impaling or piercing of the b-ag is substantially concurrent with the slitting of its end, and the impaling spike preferably is mounted horizontally with the point thereof extending at least partially over the conveyor. A conveyor such as a belt conveyor may be employed or, if desired, a pusher actuated by, for example, an hydraulic mechanism alone may be employed for urging each bag seriatim past the slitter knife and against the impaling spike. After the bag has 'been slit and impaled, the conveyor is effective to push same along the spike either under its own action or under the combined action of bags following the impaled slit bag whereby the latter is moved to a discharge station which preferably is located over a discharge hopper. The location of the impaling spike adjacent or near the extremity of the bag opposite to the slit extremity, of course, provides for a pivoting of the bag on the impaling spike whereby the slit end swings downwardly so that the contents of the bag empty through the slit end into the discharge hopper. The oncoming bags are effective to urge the empty bag further along the impaling spike to a, mechanism for ejecting or disposing of the empty bags. In the modication shown this mechanism comprises a knife for slitting preselected portions of each bag which thus will enable the bag to be drawn or pulled off of the spike 'by means of, for example, a series of rotating hooks or spikes which may be mounted upon a suitable wheel whereby the slit emptied bag is discharged from the apparatus.

Apparatus of this character suggested in the past have been incapable of obtaining an eincient and complete emptying of the container and further has failed efciently to dispose of the container after it has been emptied without considerable manual labor.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above diliiculties or to reduce same to insignificance.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will clearly appear from the detailed description given below when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate, by way of example, preferred arrangements of apparatus for carrying out the invention. The invention consists in such novel methods and combinations of features and method steps asmay be shown and described in connection with the equipment herein disclosed.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of one modification of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the modification shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a second modification of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it is often desirable when emptying a large number of paper bags, for example, of the multi-wall type containing some material such as flour, to be able to dump the contents of the bags into a preselected charging port which, for example, may conduct the material to suitable mixing vats as in a bakery wherein large numbers of bags of flour are emptied over mixing vats. Often such charging ports are located at various positions in the factory and it is desirable to be able to move an automatic bag opening machine to any one of them. Consequently the portability of the automatic opening machine is a desirable characteristic which is incorporated in the device herein described.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the automatic device is mounted upon a portable frame which is referred to as a buggy and in general is constituted by a frame member I having legs II for suitable wheels as at I2. The buggy may be moved by hand, for example, by thrusting upon ay handle I3K.

Supported upon the frame or chassis I0 is al housing I4 which is adapted for surrounding the major portion of the apparatus comprising the invention and which serves to minimize the spreading of dust resulting from the emptying of the bags.

Also mounted upon the frame IIJ. is the above-V mentioned conveyor as at 1,5 which the form shown comprises an endless belt mounted upon a head pulley I6 and a tail pulley I1 and which is adapted for moving the bags toward the bag slitting and impaling device as will be explained hereinafter.

There is provided in the housing I4 a suitable receiving hopper |411, which is designed for re'- ceiving the bags which are to be emptied and directing them down onto the conveyor I5. The latter is provided with a series of vanes or pushing devices which are designed forv pushing or urging same into the slitting and impaling mechanism in a preselected attitude- Such pushing devices are referred to herein as vanes, cleats, nights or pusher palms and are indicated as at ma. Each of the cleats a is provided with a cut away portion as at I-5b which is formed therein for the purpose of avoidingA collision with the impaling spiketobe described below. That is, the cut away portion I5b accommodates the impaling spike as it moves past it.

The bag cutting. element in the. form shown is constituted by a knife which is positioned for cutting one extremity of each. of the bags, such knife being shown. as at IB and preferably. being of the rotary variety4 driven. by suitable power means such as a motor I9. The knife I8; is referred to as a. slitter. knife, rotates upon a substantially vertical axis, and is. positionedv near the discharge extremity of the conveyor I5, that is, substantiallyV over the head pulley4 I6 with the center. thereof to the. left of the center of the head pulleyv I6 as viewed in Figs. L and2 whereby slitting of the` bag. occursrwell before the dis--Y charge of the bagby the conveyor.

Bags of the type which preferablyfare em.-r ployed in this apparatus are substantiallyoblong and may be of the` so-,cal'led sewn-.taped end type or of the pasted bottom type. In the event thatv the apparatus is employed forslitting Open the ends of the sewn-taped end bags, itis de. sirable for the slitter. knifel to be positioned either above or below the tapeof the bagin order to avoid cutting such, tape whereby small chips of paper may be cut away and dumped with the contentsof the bag. VIt would be substantially impossible to cut each bag accurately along the sewn tape. Gonsequently, it is desirable to cut either above or belowy suchI tape. In the event theta pasted, bottom bas; is employed. it is not necessary; so to position the` knife above or below a center linev because it is possible to slit the end of such a bottom directly. along the,

horizontal center line thereof.

The operative interconnection betweenthe` motor I5 and thehead pulley- I, comprises, for example@ belier, @hein as, at Mier driving a wheel or 'sprocketvvheelil which is s ecuredtoA a shaft 22. The latter, at the opposite extremity thereof, has secured thereto a pulley 2,3 which, by means of a suitable belt or'sprocket chain 4 connection as at 24, drives a shaft 25 of the head pulley I6 by means of a pulley 26 on said shaft 25.

The slitter knife I8 is also driven by the motor It through any suitable operative interconnection, for example, as shown in Fig. 2, comprising a pair of bevelY gears 2jA which transmit power from the shaft 22 to ad vertical shaft, 2,8 upon which the slitter knife I8 is mounted.

The conveyor I5 can be driven at any suitable speed and in the form shown the motor I9 is driven at a speed suiiicient to drive the conveyor I5 at about 56 feet per minute.

.As shown in 1 and 2, the impaling spike which is also. referred to as the bag spike, is

shown as at geandis iixedly secured to the frame part of the machine as at 29a which constitutes the base thereof. The bag spike 29, of course, is provided with a pointed extremity as at 29D which extends partially over the conveyor I5 and is positioned in Such., a manner that the piercing orimpaling of the bag occurs substanf tially concurrently with the slitting of an; ex., tremity thereof by the knife I8. opposite extremity of the bag spike 28 is in arcuate bi,- furcated form having arcuate curvedv legs at 29e and 29a.

The bag spike 29 throughout substantially the entire` length thereof, at least up to the arcuate bifurcated part-ion, is horizontal and is. pojsijT tionedJ such that the cut-out portions ISb of the cleats I5@ are in alignment therewith when such cleatsare on the upper run ofthe conveyorl l5, thereby insuring the complete impaling of each bag. The lpointed extremity 29h, in. order so to,

insureV the complete impaling of each bag, preferably extends to thev left of the center line of thehead pulley I6 as shown in Fig. l'.

The bagspike 29 extends-toftheright, as viewed in Figs. 1f and 2, substantially beyond the disfcharge point of the conveyor [5 and over a discharge hopper 30/ which may be positioned? over a charging port 3 I.

The mechanism for ejecting each ofthe bags from the apparatus after it has been emptied,y in the for-m shown, is copst 'fitutgedV by arip knife 32" which is mounted forV rotation about a horizontal axis vandactsv-in cooperation with a spike Wheel; 331 positioned adjacent thereto whereby each, emptied bag is slit verticallysuch a mnner thatit may be pulled oli of the spikeZfB by means of such spike-wheel. IIfhe latter-"is also yir'iounted'k focrotation about a horizontal axis. Rip knife 32 is mounted upon a shaftv 34- andspike Wheel 33` uponu a sha-ft 35a These two shafts are pref-- erably geared' together as shownin Fig. `1 by means of gears 35 and 3'?, the shaft 35 being driven by means of the 'motor t9; for example',l

through. the intermediary of a belt' or sprocket chain 3B. which is-mounte'd uponsuitable pulleys orsprocket Wheels-onsaidfshaft 22and the shaftv In operation a succession Aofg-fulljbags are placedA in the receiving hopper Hirt,l and each bag ie engaged bya vane i561 and isV urgedtoward'the Sutter knife. is an@ the bagspike 29, TheV full; bag is s lit whilely-ing flat uponthe conveyorthe slit'` being` formed oneV 'extremity thereof and.

the bag spikeby virtue of the pushing action of,

conveyor and isY urgedby the action ,of` the night, ISG. 0r, ieintlv. by, the, ewtierl4 0fA such flight` and,

the @comme bees thierebehind. Over. the, dise charge hopper 33 whereby the slit bag pivots about the spike 29 and the slit extremity hangs downwardly and the contents of the bag are emptied. If desired, a suitable bag agitating means can be employed (not shown) for shaking each of the bags to insure that all of the contents are emptied. This might be aided by a high'frequency longitudinal oscillation of the bag spike. After each bag is emptied it is thrust up against the rip knife 32 and its vertically hanging sides are slit thereby, the spike wheel 33 thereafter engages same and discharges it through an opening in the righthand (Figs. 1 and 2) extremity of the housing I4.

Thus, it will be seen that as the successive bags advance and are pushed further along the bag spike, they, on clearing the conveyor I5, pivot on the spike and hang open end down. The bags remain in this suspended position for a short interval and spill their contents into the discharge hopper until the oncoming bags push the empty bags against said rip knife. The latter opens up the Sides of the bags and as they advance further the spike Wheel engages the now collapsed bags and eiects them over the arcuate portion of the bag spike. It will be noted that while a bag pivots from horizontal position on the conveyor to vertical position suspended on the spike the contents are urged out of the bag under the influence of gravity and centrifugal force. Furthermore, a bag may swing downwardly while so impaled and slap against the side of the hopper thereby assisting in emptying the contents.

The slitting of the end of the bag and the inserting of the bag spike after slitting has ccmmenced, while the loaded bag is supported on and carried by the moving conveyor, serves a specific purpose. The rotary slitter knife, entering the bag first, tends to loosen the bags contents somewhat thereby facilitating the insertion of the bag spike. Also, when the end of the bag has been completely slit, the bag spike has also passed completely through the bag so that the bag can immediately be discharged from the conveyor.

The action of the spike wheel 33 is not only one of discharging the empty bags but it also assists in dislodging any material which may have adhered to the inside of the bag because it agitates each bag before ejecting it.

The modification of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is substantially identical to that of the first two figures above described with the exception that the slitter knife I3 is moved so that it will slit each bag substantially in the center midway between the ends thereof as shown in Fig. 3. The bag is thus cut in two. The slitter knife in the embodiment of Fig. 3 is shown as at 33. In order to accommodate this position of the slitter knife 39,k the bag conveyor must be divided into two identical endless belts which are mounted for movement in side by side relationship, such conveyors being shown as at 40 and 4I. Suitable head and tail pulleys are provided for mounting the conveyors 49 and 4 l.

Instead of supporting the slit bag by means of a single spike 29 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 employs a pair of parallel horizontal spikes as at 42 and 43 which are identical in construction to bag spike 29 with the exception that they are positioned for impaling opposite extremities of the bags substantially symmetrically relative to the central slit therein.

That is, the bag spikes42 and 43 are located approximately equal distances from vthe plane of the rotary slitter knife 39.

ment of Figs. 3 and 4, it is urged over a discharge hopper 44 and both of the extremities are supported by means of the spikes 42 and 43. As shown, vthe slitter knife 39 is positioned for cutting all the way through the bag, that is, cutting or slitting both the lower and upper and the side surfaces thereof. Thus upon being urged upon the spikes 42 and 43 each half of the bag, being separated, hangs vertically downwardly after pivotingl upon its respective bag spike whereby the contentsy are emptied into said hopper 44.V It should be noted that the latter hopper is of slightly diiferent conformation compared with the hopper 32B in that portions of it as at 44d extend beneath the slitter knife 39 in order Ito insure that any material within the bag which leaks therefrom during the slitting action is dropped into the discharge hopper.

Each of the bag spikes 42 and 43 is provided with a rip knife and spike wheel analogous to knife 32 and spike wheel 33 above described. The rip knife for the spike 42 is shown as at 45 and its corresponding spike wheel as at 46, and the rip knife for the bag spike 43 is indicated at 41 and its corresponding spike wheel at 48.

In all of the embodiments or modifications shown it may be possible to provide suitable bag tioned for slitting only the under portion of the bag and it thereafter may be pushed over the discharge hopper hanging somewhat inthe shape of a V, whereupon a second knife may be employed for cutting the upper portion of the bag in order to separate the two halves.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferred examples which have given satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the;

spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for slitting and emptying` a. container, a slitter knife; a horizontal impaling spike, said knife and spike being fixed in position; said knife and spike being positioned relative to such container to cut open one extremity thereof and to impale same near the opposite extremity in response to movement of the container relative to said knife and spike into slitting and impaling relationship respectively therewith.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a slitter knife; a. conveyor having a discharge end for n Also, if desired, suitable guide bars may be employed for.

ageeassci moving a piurality of bags: in successionrpast Vsaid'l knife for slitting one of ther-endsof each bag; adischarge hopper vpositonedat the discharge end of' said: conveyor; a.` spike positioned 'to extendover said hopper andipartiaily over said conveyor for impaling'each bag, successively; each bagv being. impaledfnear the/end opposite to: its: slit end whereby each bag: after being discharged by: saidconveyor pivots onzsaid spikeI withy itsxslit'end hanging downward to-empty theicontents thereof.

3a. In. apparatus; ofthe class described, a slitter knferaf. conveyor for. movingfa plurality of bags in. succession. past said knife for slitting one of? the: ends; thereof;V a spike positioned for.` impaling the bags'in succession at theropposite ends therer` of inresponse to movement of the bags by the conveyor ontoasaidy spike; and a discharge hoppenbeneath said'spik'e and positioned for-receivein'gthe'contents. of each slit bagV after being slitv by said. knife at 'one end thereof: and: supported thereover by said spike.

4. In apparatusof the class described, ahorizontal conveyor-belt having spaced-pusher palmsmounted. thereon. for engagingV filled-bags carried thereby; a horizontal rotatable: knife positioned over said belt for slitting bags successively. at one of the ends thereof, said bags being-carried in suc-- cession past such' knife loyfrsaid. convey-or; a bag-l impalingl spike positioned'-parallel-'tov Vsaid belt with thepoint thereof positionedfor'impaling'each. of said bags substantially4 concurrently: with the slitting thereof.'by.said:knife, the spike impaling: thebagsfnear. the'endsopp'ositeto thelsli't ends; adischargehopper, saidi spike passing over` saidhopper whereby each'bag-isgsplitxand impaled andi thereafter urged over: saidi hopper: `by/ said.- conveyor for 4emptying?thebag.; ahripknife positioned.

near the base of: said spike for cutting portions.

therein; and aspike fixedlyfmountedfatzone'of'itsi extremities, thefoppositeextremity beingfpoint'edi and positionedfor extendingy partially.: over'saidv conveyor, whereby. it. is located for impalinga suc-- cessively. the bagswhich4 arci moved. toward:

same, saidconveyor being i effective forurg-ing the. bags into :an: impaledf relationship;Withsaidispike; and for discharging each bag therefrom While:

sojimpaled; whereby: each bag pivotsruponafsaid spike @andfdischargesaitsicontents :throughitheicutt therein formed byisaid knife.

6. 'In` apparatuslofthe class-described, avi-cons` veyorI for moving a plurality y of bags in succession i along a common: path'y'a cutting-1 member: posi:- tioned for slittingA one-of the extremitiesiofi thebags as they areY movedthereby upon lsaid: con-- veyor; an impaling spike positioned for i'inpal'av ing saidbags-.inisuccession theirn-pa'ling of: the bags occurring near the extremitiesithereof .oppas1 site to `the slit vextremities; aripV knifepositioned adjacent to:V said spike for` cutting. preselected.

portions ofthe. bags. after. they: have; been. erop;-

tied; and; an ejector member. fon engagingyand.

ejecting. each bag; afterr it; has been..v cutbyrsaid.

rip knife.

7.. In` apparatus. of. the classodescribed; anL im f paling spike; a knifemember positionedin spaced relationship to saidfspi-keatra preselected-distance therefrom; a conveyorfor 'supporting a bag-and having a pusher' mechanism forfpushing a bag upon said spike and into engagement; with said knife-member lwherebyV itlv is impaled onsaid spikeand is slit by said knifemember, said pushing mec'hanismu-rging'thebag onto the spike'where--- by the-latter becomes the vsupport of the *baje and the latter' is emptied of" its contents througlflt the slit formed, therein.

8. In apparatus of the'cla'ssl'describedi, a knife; a conveyor for` moving a plurality of lbags insuccession pas-t saidk'nifefor -slitting one o fthe ends of earch` bag; VVa spikehaving a#point"Wl'iiclii is horizontallyA spaced from said knifev and is? fixedlypositioned'over saidconveyorf-for impalin'g each bag successively near the end opposite to f its slit end, whereby each` bag; after beirrgdischarged bysaid conveyor,l pivotsfonJ said,` spike with the slit endthereof' hanging downwards@ theaxisof saidspikebeing substantially parallel'- toth'e direction of movementl of said-conveyor.

9," In apparatusof the class described a 'pair of substantially; parallel horizontal spikes; ak mechanism for iinpaling a succession of bags upon said spikes; a cutting mem-ber.` for cutting open the bags so impaled. to forma slit between' said, spikes; said mechanism including a cionveyor for moving, such succession of' bags' past said cutting member, such spikes being; positioned for partially overlapping said. conveyor, each bag pivoting uponl such impaling meansft'o discharge at least'. 'a portion of` its contents, through the cut formed by. such knife.; a pair of Vrip knives associated` Wi'th.`respective, ofi's'aid. spikes for cutting preselected parts ofthe emptied' bags to facilitate. ejection thereof fromthe api paratus.; andlmeansassociated with respectiveof.

said. rip knives. for. engaging. and ejecting the emptied bagsafterfbeing 'cutby saidrip knives..

ll apparatus .of the class. described, impaling means. comprising a. pair of substantially, parallel horizontal. spikes; a, conveyor for con.-v veyingasuccession Vof nlled .bagsonto said spikes;v a knife for cutting each bag Simpaled 'alonga line intermediatesaid spi-kes; said conveyor moving said succession of`lled bags past saidknife.

yfor cutting same, saidspikes partially overlappingY said conveyor for i-rnpalingV the bags, each.` bag. being pivotable upon suchimpaling meanssto. discharge at. least. a part. of. its. contents. throughA the cut formedl by; suchv knife; and means for removing-the bag-safrom. the spikes.

11. A. bag opening apparatus-having in com-A bination: a conveyor for movingga plurality of: bagsin succession alonga commonpathandfor discharging the bags ata` discharge-station; at bag slitter knifepositioned for slittingL in suc-- cessionthe bags-which are movedby said lconPQ veyor and .a spike extending overv said discharge.- station and. havinga point which extend-s over y saidconveyor near the discharge station for impaling theY bags insuccession which Vare movedL discharged .by said conveyorl pivots upon 'sai'dl spike and thel contents thereof* empty through the slit'formed therein;

12. In apparatussofithe-class described, a'knife',` a conveyor fol moving a` Vplurality of filled' bagsV` -inf succession .past said knife forcutting' a slit' therein; andi iin-paling spike means positioned for partially overlapping said conveyor for imi'- paling successively the-bags which are moved* thereon towardY same; each bag 'pivotingupon `such impaling means for dischargingatvleast a portion of its contents through the cut formed contents through the cut formed therein by said therein by said knife. knife.

13. In apparatus of the clas-s described, la knife, a conveyor for moving a plurality of lled bags in succession past said knife for cutting same; 5 and iinpaling spike means positioned for partially overlapping said conveyor for impaling suc- REGINALD TRAUTSCHOLD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS cessvely Ithe bags which are moved thereon to- Number Name Date ward same, each bag pivoting upon such impaling 1,916,531 Robb July 4, 1933 means for discharging at least a portion of its 10 2,463,276 Habarhuk M241'. 1, 1949 

